Comparative radiosensitivity of Medfly cells and embryos.

Abstract

This research is dealing with the effect of 6O Co gamma radiation on cultured "In vitro" cells and on embryos at different developmental stages, of Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann. The parameters ana1yzed for both the cells and the embryos were growrh, survival and mortality rates. The immediate and late effects of irradiation were also studied at the level of egg hatching, larval life cycle, emergence of adults and their fertility. A particular result that became evident in the cormparison of the radiosensitivity was that the ceIls "in vitro" had a greater radioresistance than the very young embryos by a factor of 3, but the ceIls had less resistance by a factor of 8.5 when compared with the developed embryos. In general, with an increase in dose there was an increase in damage; even at 1200 rad a prolonged arrest was found in the growth of the cell population, and with 2400 rad it was found in the developmenr of 24 h old embryos. Confronting embryos of different ages, it was noted that the same quantitative effect was obtained with doses proportional to the age of the embryos: the same mortality effect in 30 min old embryos irradiated with 300 rad as in those 24 h old treated with 4800 rad was observed. The results obtained are presented and discussed.Peer reviewe